Derek Adams, Ph.D., joined us in March 2017 as our chief technology and manufacturing officer. Prior to joining bluebird, Derek was the senior vice president of CMC at Evelo Biosciences. At Evelo, Derek established the initial process development function and supply chain for clinical studies and drove strategy for product development. Prior to his time at Evelo, he served as vice president of technical and Strategic Product Development at Alexion Pharmaceuticals, where his responsibilities included developing and supporting all manufacturing processes globally as well as global clinical supply chain. His Alexion career also included roles as Plant Manager for Alexion’s Rhode Island Manufacturing facility and head of upstream process development. Derek began his career in process technical support for live virus vaccine production at Merck & Co, Inc. Derek holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering with High Distinction from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI).

Daniel S. Lynch

Chairman - Independent

Daniel S. Lynch has served as chairman of our board of directors since May 2011, when he joined Third Rock Ventures as an entrepreneur-in-residence. Since October 2007, Mr. Lynch has advised and served as executive chair or member of the board of directors for a number of private biopharmaceutical companies, which include Stromedix, Inc. (until its acquisition by Biogen Idec in February 2012), Avila Therapeutics, Inc. (until its acquisition by Celgene Corporation in February 2012), Translate Bio, Inc. (formerly known as RaNA Therapeutics, Inc.), Nimbus Discovery, LLC, Edimer Pharmaceuticals, Ember Therapeutics, Inc., Proclara Biosciences, Inc., and Surface Oncology, Inc. He currently serves on the board of directors of Blueprint Medicines Corporation, and Eleven Biotherapeutics, Inc., and formerly for BIND Biosciences, Inc. Mr. Lynch joined Third Rock Ventures, L.P., or Third Rock, as an entrepreneur-in-residence in May 2011, and became a Venture Partner in May 2013, and now he is a senior advisor. Previously, Mr. Lynch served as chief executive and chief financial officer of ImClone Systems Corporation, or ImClone. As ImClone’s chief executive officer, he led ImClone through a significant turnaround, helping to restore the company’s reputation and to secure FDA approval of ERBITUX (Cetuximab), a novel cancer treatment. As its chief financial officer, Mr. Lynch led negotiations to form the major partnership between ImClone and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Earlier in his career, he served in various financial positions at Bristol-Myers Squibb over a 15-year tenure. He served on the board of directors and the audit committee of U.S. Oncology, Inc. for five years until December 2010, when it was acquired by McKesson. Mr. Lynch received his B.A. in mathematics from Wesleyan University and his M.B.A. from the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia.

Jason F. Cole, Esq.

Chief Operating & Legal Officer

Jason Cole has served as our chief operating & legal officer since February 2019 after serving as our chief legal officer for three years and our senior vice president, general counsel for two years. Prior to joining bluebird in 2014, Jason served as executive vice president, corporate development and general counsel at Zalicus Inc. from September 2011 through March 2014, and as senior vice president, general counsel of Zalicus, and its predecessor company CombinatoRx, Inc. from January 2006 to September 2011. From 1999 to 2006, Jason was a corporate and securities attorney at Ropes & Gray LLP. Mr. Cole holds an A.B. in government from Dartmouth College and a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law.

John O. Agwunobi, M.D.

Herbalife Nutrition Institute

John O. Agwunobi, M.D., has served as a member of our board of directors since June 2017. Since February 2016, Dr. Agwunobi has served as chief health and nutrition officer at Herbalife Nutrition Institute, responsible for training, education, science strategy and product development. Prior to joining Herbalife, Dr. Agwunobi was an independent consultant, advising a number of privately-held health-related companies, including serving as an advisory board member of Shopko Stores Operating Co., LLC on behalf of the private equity firm Sun Capital Partners. From September 2007 to April 2014, Dr. Agwunobi served as senior vice president and president of health and wellness for Wal-Mart in the United States where he grew the business and provided insight and advice on the company’s health reform position. From December 2005 to September 2007, he served as the assistant secretary of health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where he was responsible for disease prevention and health promotion. His responsibilities included the oversight of the Centers for Disease Control, National Institute of Health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the office of the U.S. Surgeon General, and numerous other public health offices and programs. Dr. Agwunobi has served on numerous boards, including currently as a director at Magellan Health Inc. and at the U.S. African Development Foundation. Dr. Agwunobi is a licensed physician in Florida, Maryland and Washington, D.C. He received his medical training at the University of Jos and completed his pediatric residency at Howard University. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and Master’s in Business Administration from Georgetown University.

Malcolm K. Brenner, M.B., Ph.D.

Malcolm Brenner is a professor in the departments of pediatrics and medicine, section of hematology-oncology at Baylor College of Medicine. He is also director of the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, which was established by Baylor College of Medicine, The Methodist Hospital and Texas Children’s Hospital. Malcolm’s main research interest is in the field of tumor immunology. He has compared the relative immunostimulatory and anti-tumor potency of autologous and allogeneic tumor vaccines in children with advanced neuroblastoma and in adults with acute and chronic leukemia. Recipients of both autologous and allogeneic vaccines showed evidence of local immunity, but the autologous vaccine showed more potent systemic activity. Similar studies are also underway in patients with acute and chronic leukemia. His laboratory is also using molecular techniques to increase the effectiveness of cytotoxic T cell killing of tumor cells. Malcolm is an associate editor of Blood and of Molecular Therapy, and he is the principal investigator or co-investigator on five National Institutes of Health grants. Malcolm earned his Ph.D., M.B.Ch.B. and B.A. from Cambridge University in England. He completed a fellowship at the Royal College of Pathologists and the Royal College of Physicians.

Chip Baird

Chief Financial Officer

Chip Baird joined bluebird in February of 2019 as chief financial officer. Chip has over 20 years of financial and strategic planning experience in the biopharmaceutical sector. Prior to bluebird, he served as CFO of Amicus Therapeutics for seven years and spent 10 years as CFO of PTC Therapeutics with responsibility for all areas of finance, investor and public relations, human resources, facilities and project management. Chip also worked in the life science practice at L.E.K. Consulting, a strategy consulting firm, and began his career at First Union National Bank in corporate debt underwriting. Chip currently serves as a Director of Axcella Health. Chip received a B.S. from Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service and an M.B.A. in finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

David Davidson, M.D.

Chief Medical Officer

David Davidson, M.D., has served as our chief medical officer since February 2012. Prior to joining us, Dave served as a senior medical director at Genzyme Corporation, or Genzyme, where he led clinical research for programs in Phases I through IV across a wide range of therapeutic areas for more than a decade. Most recently, Dave was the medical leader for Genzyme’s gene therapy and Pompe disease enzyme replacement therapy programs. In addition to Dave’s translational medicine experience, he has also worked on a number of commercial products, including Fabrazyme and Myozyme/Lumizyme, and was integral in crafting the new drug application that resulted in the approval of Welchol. Prior to Genzyme, Dave was a medical director at GelTex Pharmaceuticals Inc., he completed clinical and research fellowships in infectious diseases at the Harvard Longwood Combined Infectious Diseases Program, and received his B.A. from Columbia University and his M.D. from New York University School of Medicine. In addition, he completed an internal medicine internship, residency training and an endocrinology research fellowship at the University of Chicago Hospitals.

Wendy L. Dixon, Ph.D.

Formerly of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

Wendy L. Dixon, Ph.D., has served as a member of our board of directors since April 2013. In 2012, Dr. Dixon served as senior advisor at The Monitor Group. Dr. Dixon serves as a member of the board of directors for a number of biopharmaceutical companies, including Alkermes PLC, Incyte Corporation, Eleven Biotherapeutics, Inc. and Voyager Therapeutics, Inc., and formerly for Orexigen Therapeutics Inc., Furiex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which was sold to Forest Laboratories, LLC as a subsidiary of Allergan in 2014, Ardea Biosciences, Inc., which was sold to AstraZeneca PLC in 2012, and Dentsply International Inc., as well as a private company, Edimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Dixon also served as chief marketing officer and president of Global Marketing for Bristol-Myers Squibb and as a member of the CEO’s Executive Committee from 2001 to 2009. She has had an over 30-year career in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology business, combining a technical background and experience in drug development and regulatory affairs with commercial responsibilities in building and leading organizations and launching and growing more than 20 pharmaceutical products including Tagamet, Fosamax, Singulair, Plavix, Abilify, Reyataz and Baraclude. From 1996 to 2001, she was senior vice president, marketing at Merck and prior to that she held executive management positions at West Pharmaceuticals, Osteotech and Centocor, and various positions at SmithKline and French (now GlaxoSmithKline) in marketing, regulatory affairs, project management and as a biochemist. Dr. Dixon received her B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge (UK).

Stephanie Fagan

Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications

Stephanie Fagan joined us in December 2017 as our senior vice president, corporate communications. Prior to joining bluebird, Stephanie led the communications function at Alexion directing strategic communications across the company, including internal and external communications, product communications, issues management and community relations. Prior to Alexion, Stephanie was chief communications officer at Shire overseeing corporate communications, including patient advocacy, corporate social responsibility, digital strategy and government affairs. Previously, Stephanie held leadership positions at West Health, Johnson & Johnson, Allergan, Pfizer and Boston Scientific. Stephanie holds a master’s degree in communications from Boston University and a B.A. in English from Wheaton College. She is a member of the Arthur Page Society and The Seminar.

Mitchell H. Finer, Ph.D.

Mitchell H. Finer, Ph.D., served as bluebird’s chief scientific officer from March 2010 to July 2015. Prior to joining us, Dr. Finer served as senior vice president of development and operations for Novocell, Inc. (now ViaCyte, Inc.), a stem cell engineering company researching treatments for diabetes and other chronic diseases from November 2008 through March 2010. From July 2005 through November 2008, Dr. Finer served as chief executive officer of Intracel Holdings LLC. From June 2003 to June 2005, he held the position of president and chief executive officer of Genteric Inc., or Genteric. Previously, he had served as Genteric’s chief scientific officer from November 2002 to June 2003 and as vice president of research and development for the Gencell division of Aventis Pharma (now Sanofi) from April 2002 to November 2002. He was also a founder and vice president of research for Cell Genesys Inc., and a founder of Abgenix, Inc. and Avalanche Biotechnologies, Inc. Dr. Finer received his B.A. in biochemistry and bacteriology from the University of California at Berkeley and his Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from Harvard University. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research.

Alison Finger

Chief Commercial Officer

Alison Finger has served as our chief commercial officer since February 2017. She joined bluebird in August of 2015 as our senior vice president, marketing and product launch. Prior to joining bluebird, Alison spent 21 years at Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) where her career began in consumer medicines and progressed to global leadership roles in hepatitis, HIV/AIDs, hematology and neurodegenerative diseases. She has launched global, regional and national brands in hepatitis, HIV/AIDs, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, oncology and migraine/pain, and has led teams in consumer medicines, U.S. operations and global commercial. Alison was also responsible for building and embedding marketing capabilities throughout the company as BMS’ Executive Sponsor for Marketing Excellence. Alison is currently a member of the board of directors of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine Foundation which fosters education and research to support the development of transformational treatments and cures for patients worldwide. She holds a B.A. in English writing from Saint Lawrence University and an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.

Stephen P. Goff, Ph.D.

Stephen P. Goff is Higgins Professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics and professor of microbiology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He is also an investigator at Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Stephen’s research at HHMI focuses on the retrovirus, which he started studying during his postdoctoral fellowship in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology laboratory of David Baltimore. He is interested in the replication of retroviruses, and the cellular gene products that interact with these viruses. Stephen is particularly proud of his identification in 1980 of the abl oncogene from the Abelson virus and, later, of its counterpart in the normal DNA of a mouse chromosome. Abl was one of the first oncogenes discovered. Stephen earned an A.B. in biophysics from Amherst College and his Ph.D. in biochemistry from Stanford University.

Philip D. Gregory, D. Phil.

Chief Scientific Officer

Philip D. Gregory, D. Phil., has served as our chief scientific officer since June 2015. Philip was formerly with Sangamo BioSciences, where he held multiple leadership positions over a nearly fifteen-year tenure, most recently serving as chief scientific officer and senior vice president, research. In this role, he was responsible for the scientific direction and strategic research planning for the company. Philip played an integral role in Sangamo’s partnerships and drove early discovery and development for several IND candidates in multiple therapeutic areas. Prior to joining Sangamo, he was a postdoctoral fellow at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. Philip holds a D. Phil in biochemistry from Oxford University, Keble College and a B.Sc. in microbiology from Sheffield University.

Susanna High

Chief Operating Officer

Susanna High has served as chief operating officer since 2016. Prior to joining bluebird, she worked at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., holding increasing responsibilities for company strategy, business planning, portfolio and program management, alliance management, information technology and broader organizational capability building initiatives. Prior to her time at Alnylam, Susanna worked at Millennium Pharmaceuticals. She received her BA in economics and business management, financial from Università Bocconi, Milan, Italy and her MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Sloan School of Management.

R. Keith Humphries, M.D., Ph.D.

Keith Humphries is distinguished scientist and director of Terry Fox Laboratory and a professor of medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC). He is an associate member of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Medical Genetics at UBC, is program project group leader of the Terry Fox Foundation of Canada and director of Transgenic and Gene Targeting Facility, BCCA. One of Keith’s research focuses is directed towards the development of improved gene transfer methods to primitive hematopoietic stem cells with the goal of improving approaches for gene function studies and gene therapy. This work includes a major emphasis on developing strategies for gene therapy of inherited anemias such as Thalassemia and sickle cell disease. Novel approaches for non-viral mediated gene transfer to hemopoietic cells are also being explored by utilizing cre/lox recombination methodology.

Christof von Kalle, M.D., Ph.D.

Christof von Kalle serves as a member of the scientific advisory board for bluebird bio and for GATC Biotech AG. He is chairman of the department of translational oncology at the German Cancer Research Center and director of the National Center for Tumor Diseases at the University Hospital Heidelberg. Christof is an adjunct professor of pediatrics at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Division of Experimental Hematology, and is a group leader in the section of hematopoiesis and gene transfer at the Institute for Molecular Medicine and Cell Research at the University of Freiburg. He is also a senior clinical investigator of the Gene Therapy Program, and senior medical staff fellow of the Department of Internal Medicine, at the University of Freiburg Medical School in Germany. Christof is world-renowned for his research in the areas of gene therapy for human hemoglobinopathies, retrovirus-mediated therapy of hematopoietic stem cells and clinical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. He participated in the 1999 French gene therapy trial that restored the immune systems of nine of 11 boys with X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency disease, making this the first clear success in gene therapy. Christof received his M.D. and Ph.D. from Cologne University Medical School.

Philippe Leboulch, M.D.

Co-Chair of Scientific Advisory Board; Head of the Institute of Emerging Diseases and Innovative Therapies of CEA and INSERM; Professor of Medicine, University of Paris; and Visiting Professor, Harvard

Philippe Leboulch is a scientific founder of bluebird bio. He serves as the co-chairman of its Scientific Advisory Board and conceived the anti-sickling T87Q globin modification used in the LentiGlobin vector. He is a professor of medicine and cell biology at the University of Paris and visiting professor at Harvard Medical School. Philippe is also the director of the Institute of Emerging Diseases and Innovative Therapies of the CEA near Paris and director of an INSERM research unit. He maintains a research laboratory in the genetics division of the Brigham & Women’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School, where he previously served as a full-time faculty member for 15 years after a postdoctoral fellowship at MIT. Philippe is an expert in vectorology and hematopoietic gene therapy, with special emphasis on the beta-hemoglobinopathies. He has been published extensively in high-impact journals and is a regularly invited speaker at major international conferences. Philippe was a member of the Editorial Board of Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology. He has served on major committees of the National Institutes of Health and the American Society of Gene Therapy. Philippe has received numerous NIH grant awards and prizes that include the Grand Prize Etancelin of the French National Academy of Sciences.

Nick Leschly

chief bluebird

Nick Leschly has served as our chief bluebird since September 2010. Formerly, Nick was a partner and founding member of Third Rock Ventures in 2007. Nick played an integral role in the overall formation, development and business strategy of several of Third Rock’s portfolio companies, including Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Edimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Prior to joining Third Rock, he worked at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, leading several early-stage drug development programs and served as the product leader for VELCADE. Nick also founded and served as chief executive officer of MedXtend Corporation. He received his B.S. in molecular biology from Princeton University and his MBA from Wharton Business School. He currently serves as a board member of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), Synlogic and Proclara Biosciences.

James Mandell, M.D.

Formerly CEO of Boston Children's Hospital

James Mandell, M.D., has served as a member of our board of directors since January 2014. Dr. Mandell became chief executive officer of Boston Children’s Hospital and Children’s Medical Center on October 1, 2000, retiring from the position in October 2013. During his tenure, Dr. Mandell was a member of the board of trustees and professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School. Prior to joining Children’s, he served as dean of Albany Medical College and professor of surgery and pediatrics. Dr. Mandell was promoted from chief of urology to dean of Albany Medical College in l996. He also served as executive vice president for health affairs at Albany Medical Center and executive medical director of Albany Medical Center Hospital. Prior to his tenure at Albany Medical College, he was a member of the medical staff at Children’s Hospital for nine years, advancing to an associate in surgery with an associate professor appointment at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Mandell serves on the board of the Franciscan’s Hospital for Children, the board of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and as chair of the board of the Harvard Risk Management Company. Dr. Mandell continues to practice Pediatric Urology at Children’s and is the Robert and Dana Smith Distinguished Professor at Harvard Medical School. In addition to a medical degree from the University of Florida College of Medicine, Dr. Mandell holds a Master’s in Health Systems Management from Union College, New York.

Mary Lynne Hedley, Ph.D.

TESARO, Inc.

Mary Lynne Hedley, Ph.D., has served as a member of our board of directors since September 2017. Since co-founding TESARO, Inc. in 2010, Dr. Hedley has served as the company’s president and as a member of its board of directors and is currently president and chief operating officer. Prior to founding TESARO, Dr. Hedley served as executive vice president of operations and chief scientific officer of Abraxis BioScience. She previously served as executive vice president of Eisai Corporation of North America until July 2009, following the company’s acquisition of MGI PHARMA in January 2008. Dr. Hedley served in various positions at MGI PHARMA from 2004 through its acquisition, most recently as executive vice president and chief scientific officer. Prior to that, she co-founded and served as the president and chief executive officer of ZYCOS, which was acquired by MGI PHARMA in 2004. Dr. Hedley currently mentors undergraduate science students at Harvard University and also serves on the board of directors of Millendo Therapeutics and Youville Place. She served on the board of directors of Receptos, Inc. from April 2014 until August 2015, when Receptos, Inc. was acquired by Celgene Corporation. Dr. Hedley completed two consecutive postdoctoral fellowships at Harvard University and earned her doctoral degree in immunology from the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center and her bachelor of science degree in microbiology from Purdue University.

Douglas A. Melton, Ph.D.

Harvard University

Douglas A. Melton, Ph.D., has served as a member of our board of directors since June 2017. Dr. Melton is the Xander University Professor at Harvard University, where he has been a professor for over thirty years. He has served as the co-director of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute since 2004, and also as the co-chair of the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology since 2007. Since 1994, Dr. Melton has been an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He is a scientific co-founder of Gilead Sciences, Inc., Curis, Inc. and Semma Therapeutics, Inc. Dr. Melton received a B.S. in Biology from the University of Illinois, a B.A. in History and Philosophy of Science at Cambridge University, and received his Ph.D. in molecular biology at Trinity College at Cambridge and the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology.

Andrew Obenshain

Head of Europe

Andrew Obenshain has served as head of Europe since 2016. He was most recently at Shire in Paris, France where he was the general manager of France and Benelux overseeing a portfolio including seven rare disease products. Prior to Shire, Andrew spent eight years at Genzyme and Sanofi holding roles of increasing responsibility in business development, marketing and global commercial operations. Mr. Obenshain received his MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and his B.A. in genetics, cell and developmental biology from Dartmouth College.

Philip Reilly, M.D., J.D.

Phil Reilly is a venture partner at Third Rock Ventures in Boston, Mass. He joined Third Rock in 2009 and supports the firm’s founding and advancement of new ventures, with a particular focus on nurturing and growing transformational companies dedicated to breakthrough treatments for genetic disorders. Phil is an accomplished entrepreneur and has a long-standing interest in genetic testing and developing new therapies for genetic diseases. He served as interim chief medical officer of bluebird bio in 2010 and previously served on the board of directors of the American Society for Human Genetics. Phil is currently a trustee of Cornell University and is a founding fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics. In 2000 and 2003, he served as president of the American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics. Phil has held numerous teaching positions at Tufts University School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Cornell University, as well as adjunct professor of both legal studies and biology at Brandeis University. He currently serves on the board of Edimer Pharmaceuticals. Phil holds an M.D. from Yale University and a J.D. from Columbia University. He is a member of the Massachusetts Bar and is board certified in internal medicine and clinical genetics.

Andrew M. Scharenberg, M.D.

Andrew M. Scharenberg is a professor of pediatrics, adjunct in immunology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and co-director of the Program for Cell and Gene Therapy at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Andrew’s laboratory at Seattle Children’s has been at the forefront of developing and translating technologies for gene editing and gene repair. He and his colleagues developed the megaTAL monomeric nuclease platform and have pioneered the co-expression of accessory factors with nucleases for controlling the processing of nuclease-induced DNA double strand breaks. His laboratory is now focused on refining and translating gene editing technologies for treating human hematopoietic genetic disease. Andrew earned a B.S. in biochemistry from Indiana University and an M.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. He is principal investigator on numerous NIH grants including past principal investigator and co-director of the Northwest Genome Engineering Consortium, and also past co-founder of Pregenen, a pioneering gene editing biotechnology company acquired by bluebird bio in 2014.

David P. Schenkein, M.D.

Agios Pharmaceuticals

David P. Schenkein, M.D., has served as a member of our board of directors since April 2013. Since August 2009, Dr. Schenkein has served as the chief executive officer of Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. From April 2006 to July 2009, Dr. Schenkein served as senior vice president of oncology development of Genentech. Dr. Schenkein is also a director at Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Denali Therapeutics, and served on the board of directors of Foundation Medicine, Inc. from April 2010 to April 2017. Dr. Schenkein received his B.A. in chemistry from Wesleyan University and his M.D. from Upstate Medical School.

Joanne Smith-Farrell, Ph.D.

Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Strategy

Joanne Smith-Farrell, Ph.D., joined us in April 2017 as our senior vice president, corporate development and strategy. Prior to joining bluebird, Joanne was vice president, business development transactions at Merck, Inc. At Merck, Joanne led the team that structured, negotiated, and executed business development transactions supporting Merck Research Labs. Prior to Merck, she was vice president of strategic transactions at Pfizer, Inc. Joanne holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the Catholic University of America, and a B.S. in Physics and Mathematics from Vanderbilt University. She was also a Fellow in Biomedical & Chemical Engineering at The Harvard-MIT Division for Health Science & Technology (Dr. Robert Langer’s Lab) where she received the NIH National Service Award in Research.

Mark Vachon

Formerly of Change Healthcare Holdings, Inc.

Mark Vachon has served as a member of our board of directors since July 2014. Mr. Vachon served as an executive vice president sales, integration and operations at Change Healthcare Holdings, Inc. from November 2016 to April 2018. For over 30 years, Mr. Vachon held a variety of leadership positions across the General Electric organization, and was a company officer beginning in 1999 and a member of GE’s Corporate Executive Council. Mr. Vachon was president and chief executive officer of GE Healthcare Americas from 2009 and 2010, and prior to that he was president and chief executive officer of Global Diagnostics Imaging, GE Healthcare, between 2006 and 2009. Between 2003 and 2006, Mr. Vachon was executive vice president and chief financial officer of GE Healthcare. Mr. Vachon serves on the board of trustees of Northeastern University and the board of directors of Numotion, and the Charitable Health and Retirement Trust. Mr. Vachon holds a B.S. in Finance from Northeastern University and an M.A. from Boston College.

Jeffrey T. Walsh

Chief Strategy Officer

Jeff Walsh serves as our chief strategy officer and has been with bluebird since May 2011 where he has held a variety of roles including chief operating officer, and chief financial and strategy officer. Jeff has 25 years of experience in executive leadership positions with responsibility for finance, business development, commercial and business operations, strategic planning and legal functions with established and emerging public and private life sciences companies. From November 2008 to February 2011, Jeff served as chief business officer of Taligen Therapeutics, Inc. where he played a key role in the growth of the company and the ultimate sale of Taligen Therapeutics, Inc. to Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in January 2011. Jeff started his career at SmithKline Beecham Corporation in finance and worldwide business development roles. He subsequently held senior business development, finance, sales and operations roles at PathoGenesis Corp. (PGNS acquired by Chiron Corporation), Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc., EXACT Sciences Corporation and Inotek Pharmaceuticals Corp. Jeff currently also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of tevarD biosciences and member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of The Alliance for Regenerative Medicines (ARM). Jeff received his B.A. in sociology and economics from Yale University and his MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

Kathy Wilkinson

Chief People Officer

Kathy Wilkinson joined us in 2012 as a senior director of human resources, and since joining us, she has overseen our growth from 38 employees to over 300 while building and fostering a culture we love – passionate, fun and relentlessly focused on patients and our people. She leads all human resource functions including staffing and recruitment strategies, leadership development and learning, organizational design, and compensation and talent engagement approaches and practices. Prior to bluebird, Kathy held leadership roles in human resources at Adnexus, Codon Devices and Aspect Software. Kathy holds a B.A. in Sociology from Harvard University.